An Enchanting Rustic Wedding At The National Arts School, Sydney

It’s easy to get swept up in the hubbub of planning a wedding, so much so that most newlyweds forget it’s also a celebration of love and one giant party! Not many would’ve thought to get married at an arts school, but this bride and groom had the right idea – exchanging vows at the National Arts School in Sydney against a stunning colourful backdrop, followed by a dinner reception at an old gaol site. Graffiti walls, natural sunlight and aerial shots formed the perfect equation for their wedding photoshoot. Many thanks to Lara Hotz Photography for the gorgeous pictures.

Vanessa: “If there was an underlying theme to the wedding, it was to put on a good party, and a good party needs a centrally located venue, music, food and laughs. The Cell Block Theatre is an old gaol site with grand, high ceilings and sandstone walls so bright hanging festoon lights created the perfect ambience, while the length of the room meant long, shared tables, filled with big shared platters of food. It was all down to the food, the band and dancing: Adam and I met on the dance floor and our relationship blossomed over food, so these two elements were absolutely crucial to us.”

“As a fan of botanical prints, especially fruit and vegetable ones, we used a number of images of fruit and vegetables on our save the dates, invitations and menu/seat name cards. Quite a few people were confused as to why pumpkins or pineapples were used as a theme/motif. They were even more perplexed as to why we had mini toy animals placed at each person’s seat. But it was all for a bit of a giggle!”

Tips from the bride: “As clichéd as it may be, choose and decide on things that are true to both of you. Sure, trends, blogs, friends and family will suggest a million things for you to consider but it just complicates things and adds to the budget! People won’t remember what colour suit the groom was wearing, or what wedding favours you gave them, or what the cake tasted like; people remember the general party vibe, if it was easy for them on the day, if they weren’t left hungry or thirsty, and of course, you! So focus on the basics and don’t fuss over the small (expensive) stuff! Oh, and just because so-and-so had a three-tiered cake doesn’t mean you need the same. Dare to do it differently.”